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Jerusalem, Israel
Photo: Yoninah, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Haredi or Chareidi Jerusalem refers to the parts of Jerusalem which are overwhelmingly populated by Haredi (or 'ultra-Orthodox') Jews. More than a third of Jerusalem's population (200,000 people), and more than 60% of Jewish youth in Jerusalem, are Haredi.
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This neighborhood is perhaps the closest the 21st century can get to the shtetl Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. Minimally influenced by the modern world, the Hasidic residents of Me'ah Shearim continue to dress like their great-grandparents and speak Yiddish conversationally. The walls are often plastered with pashkevilim - posters with social or political announcements, by communal leaders or sometimes random activists. For tourists, the main roads are lined with shops selling Judaica.
A vibrant shopping street which forms the bouncing heart of Haredi Jerusalem. Especially on the evenings preceding the Sabbath and major holidays, and on summer nights, it is one of the busiest areas of the city. The street, with its narrow sidewalks and chaotic traffic, is lined with stores of all types, ranging from kosher music to modest ladies clothing, from household appliances to pizza stores. On Thursday nights you can get hot cholent (the traditional Sabbath stew) to eat, and there are stores selling traditional Ashkenazi dishes like kugel and herring.
A freely accessible park with impressive rock-carved tombs from the 1st century. The most impressive tombs are deeper (further north) in the park.
An abandoned Arab village near the western entrance to Jerusalem. The place is full of spacious, multilevel, half-ruined buildings. Some of the houses are rebuilt and Jewish families live in these. It's easy to find wild opuntia (cactus fruit) and almond trees there. The must-see spot in Lifta is a long, very narrow tunnel going from the bricked-in ancient pool at the bottom of the village. The pool is mentioned in the Bible. Take off your shoes before entering it, because water can reach knee-level. The simplest way to get there is to take a walk from the main bus station towards the nearby hill where you enter the city from Tel Aviv, take the foot bridge over the highway and hike downhill on the trail that starts just before and goes behind the gas station, which takes about 15 minutes. Be careful: the pool is about 2 meters deep when full but has no stairs or ladder out, and while sometimes people pile stones at a corner for a step up to get out, you need to be strong enough to exit with a full pullup and hand press from the high edge or wait for a friend to pull you out. Especially on Friday and even more so before major Jewish holidays, many religious male youths will be found at Lifta performing ritual purification by immersion, and they may become irritated should a female bather show up to swim, potentially forcing large numbers of males wishing to use the ancient ritual mikveh pool for what they consider a non-recreational ritual away from the area.
The traditional burial site of the prophet Samuel, who chose Saul and David to be kings. Over the centuries this has been a pilgrimage site for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. It is one of the highest points in the Jerusalem area, and has a stunning view in all directions. A number of bus routes from Jerusalem to Givat Ze'ev or Modiin Ilit stop here. The best place to board them is along the main road of Ramot (the most northwestern neighborhood in the city, closest to Nabi Samwil).
The Tomb of Benjamin
The tomb of one of the disciples of the prophet Muhammad, and next to it a mosque. They were inactive until the end of 2023, when a fringe group decided it was the tomb of Benjamin and four of his sons. The tomb is open for prayer during daylight hours.
Blocks of residential buildings which are built from prefabricated dodecahedral units, resembling a beehive.
A memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks in the US. On a rural forested hill within Jerusalem city limits.
One of the largest chassidic groups, originating in Poland. The Belzer Rebbe holds a tish on Friday night and on holidays. The best time to arrive is around 22:00. The entrance to the Belzer building is on: [a] Dover Sholom Street [b] Divrei Chaim Street [c] Binat Yissachar Street or [d] Kedushat Aharon Street, all in Kiryat Belz.
The Boyaner Rebbe's tish is held on Shabbos mevorchim (last Sabbath of the Jewish month) on Friday night (21:00) in the winter, Shabbos afternoon in the summer (around the time of candle lighting), and on all Jewish holidays. You will find the Boyaner headquarters in the Mekor Baruch neighborhood at the beginning of Malchei Yisrael st. (a 10 minutes walk from the central bus station). The large building is easily recognizable by its size and dome on top of the synagogue.
Dushinsky headquarters on Shmuel HaNavi Street, about halfway between the roundabout close to the light rail, and the intersection with Yechezkel Street. It is on the northwestern side of the road, in a low, long building. In front of the building, facing the square, are steps going up to a hall where the tish is held. During the winter, the tish starts at about 22:00 and ends at about midnight. There is a tish almost every Friday night, as well as on holidays.
From Meah Shearim St., turn down Shmuel Salant St. (by the Breslov Shul), then right through the arch to Oneg Shabbos St.; Toldos Avraham Yitzchak headquarters is right there. There is a tish almost every Friday night, as well as holidays, and Saturday afternoon around sunset. The tish is very spirited with a lot of singing and dancing, with a lot of catchy tunes, many from Viznitz and Chabad, and is probably one of the best in Jerusalem for newcomers to experience. The ladies' section is open during the tish as well.
On Meah Shearim St. just west of Shivtei Yisrael St. There is a tish almost every Friday night, as well as holidays, and Saturday afternoon around sunset. The tea in the coffee room is especially tasty.
You will find the Slonim headquarters on the corner of Shmuel Salant st. and Avraham MiSlonim st., behind the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak synagogue on Chevrat Shas st. After the tish there is a zitzen, where the Hasidim sit in the dark and meditate while singing slow, spiritual melodies without words. This lasts until around 01:00. This is conducted in the cafeteria downstairs and is an amazing experience. There is a tish almost every Friday night, and there is a zitzen even on weeks when there might not be a tish.
You will find the Spinka synagogue of Jerusalem on Shmuel Salant Street, across the street from the Slonim Yeshivah. It is a very small tish, and it is nice to experience because you can receive shirayim of kugel directly from the Rebbe's hand. There is a tish most Friday nights.
Doctor Pizza, not to be confused with the "Doctor Pizza" further up on Bar Ilan Street
Excellent grilled sandwiches with a variety of cheeses and veggies available as toppings. Expect the small storefront to be congested with strollers. Ask for pizza sauce. English speaking personnel.
Perhaps the most popular place to get all kinds of traditional Ashkenazi food. Mostly take-out but there is also a place to eat.
The center of Haredi Jerusalem is Kikar HaShabbat (or Kikar Shabbos according to their Yiddish-influenced pronunciation), a road intersection about 700 meters north of the secular-Jewish downtown.
Read in the guideThe Haredi sector in Israel has a very high rate of usage of public transportation. Within Jerusalem, it is particularly easy to get a bus between any two Haredi areas, as long as you know which route to take.
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